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COPYRIGHT, 1922 
By NANNIE C. GOODE 



©ClA69i886 ^^^ '2 '922 



WAITING AT THE PORTAL 

A lonely traveler, 

An ebon-hued man bound for Freedom's Heights, 

Came to a portal on his way and stopped. 

Three centuries of hardships stretched out behind him. 

O'er the way he came across Columbia's strand, 

Like the furies of hell. 

Above the portal the weary traveler read: 

THE GATE OF JUSTICE. THIS V/AY TO FREEROM'S 
HEIGHTS. 

But the portal was closed! 

Foot-sore and bruised 

And with eyes that burned with a fire lit 

By persecution's torch, the black man knocked 

And feigned would have entered; 

But the keeper, stern and high-browed, 

(Perched well in his seat above), said: 

''Negroes debarred. Stand aside, and let the people pass !" 

And 

KEPT the portal closed ! 

Then the erstwhile son 

Of Afric's sunny clime grew faint 

And wholly sick at soul — 

Great God! He saw the gate of Justice, ponderous and 
wide. 

Swing back and a great motley throng pass through 
To Freedom's Heights. 

The anarchist and bolshevist e'en went through to 
Undermine Democracy on freemen's blood-bought soil! 
Then the portal was closed! 



With, tearless eyes 

The traveler wept as few men ever did. 

In his hands were papers declaring his fitness to enter — 

No traitor had he been in the days of bondage; 

Neither was he a shirker when his shackles were broken. 

Loyalty! That w^as his watchword 

From the Jamestov/n landing to the place he stood; 

Loyalty in heart and in deed — 

Yet the portal was closed! 



Many years have fiown 

And many changes have been wrought in our fair land 

For man's happiness and betterm^ent: 

Humane laws have been enacted; sermons preached on 

love; 

Prayers said for the downtrodden in other lands 

While thousands of lives and millions of dollars were laid 
on the altar. 

Truly 

America's heart is large, and her arm of mercy long! 
Only the dusky freedmian of the tainted Hamiitic strain, 
is overlooked. 

To Freedom's Heights he still begs admittance— 
AND— THE PORTAL IS CLOSED! 



A CRY FROM THE WILDERNESS 

Out of the wilderness a low crooning voice 
Rode on the zephrs serene. 
'Twas a woman's voice and 'twas sad, so sad 
That she had known trouble, I v/een. 

As the zephrs moved onward, the voice sadder grew ; 

Then a heart-rending wailing was heard; 

And the zephrs in sympathy murmured so loud, 

That the v/ind in his lair v/as stirred. 

''What's the m.atter?" he asked, Whose heart's been torn? 

And whence comes that cry of pain? 

If a soul's tortured, I'll seek its balm 

For too long already I've lain." 

The zephrs whispered and folded their wings, 

And the loud blustering wind at their side 

Blew and blew, till there were many who knew 

That one in the wilderness cried: 

A Negro woman cried there in chains. 

And her captor was an Anglo-man, 

So said the wind as he blew on his way 

Across Columbia's strand. 

And the v/ind said, too, that the Anglo-man 

Cared naught for that woman save 

That she satisfy a wicked lust 

Which in his heart did rave. 

E'en the fruit of his sin, in whose veins ran HIS blood, 

As well as that of the woman in bonds. 

Had the fate of her m_other as beside her she stood. 

Said the wind as he blew on his rounds. 



How the wind did howl as he poured forth this tale; 

His fury was awful to see; 

Yet all was for naught — it seemed that none cared 

To set that woman free. 

True, m.en were there of her own swarthy skin; 

But no succor dared they to give, 

For the Anglo-man had a mighty band 

Who decreed just who should live. 

0, wind, blow^ on — blow loud and long; 

Keep blowing and telling your tale. 

My sister's lot in that sinful clime 

Is sad. Blow on and bewail! 

Surely, there are Chrlstly souls who'll hear, 

Some v/here in this gospel land. 

And haste away to the wilderness 

To rout the Anglo-man. 

The Negro woman's a soul to save 

As well as her sister more fair; 

And she has a virtue to be counted more dear 

Than are jewels, precious and rare. 

God gave her a heart that He want to be clean, 

And a m.ind to unravel His laws — 

She was not created to gratify sin, 

But to live for a nobler cause! 

O, wind, blow on — blow loud and long ; 

Keep blowing till you are a gale ; 

Down in the wilderness that woman still cries — 

Blow on, O wind, and bewail!! 



THE BLACK MAN'S BURDEN 

Take up the black man's burden, 
Hark, men, to duty's call! 
The white man bears his trials, 
Why should you lag and fall? 
Have you not sons and daughters 
With souls all good and fair, 
To train for higher service. 
Through ardent work and prayer? 

Take up the black man's burden. 

If you would win the race; 

The odds are all against you 

For the color of your face. 

'The black man's not my equal," 

One angry brother cries, 

"And gatling guns shall greet him, 

If e'er he wills to rise." 

Take up the black man's burden, 
Though dark may seem the way; 
Think not your cause a lost one. 
Because of what men say. 
There is a God above us 
Who notes the sparrow^'s fall, 
And He sees all His children, 
And hears the weakest call. 

Take up the black man's burden 
And work and pray and wait; 
Go gather up the weak ones 
(Upon whom hangs your fate) 
And help to train their children; 
Teach them the way to go — 
You cannot gain the victory. 
While they grope on below. 



Take up the black man's burden. 
Show to the world you can 
Take care of all your problems 
Like any other man. 
Build up your schools and churches; 
Make homes for orphans poor; 
To wayward creatures, wandering, 
Point out an open door. 

Take up the black man's burden, 

In unity stand firm; 

Watch ever in the distance, 
Lest, Cometh there a worm 
To eat in your foundation. 
To mar your priceless care; 
Then, steal away in darkness, 
And gloat on your despair. 

Take up the black man's burden. 
Each race has one to bear; 
Though rocky is the pathway. 
Ask none your load to share. 
The darkest of the night hour, 
Comes just before the day; 
So gird your loins on brother, 
And press along the way. 

Take up the black man's burden. 
If you'd be strong to fight, 
Let love run out among you. 
And strive to do the right. 
Walk close in Jesus' footsteps, 
In sweet humility ; 
HIS way means heav'nly glory, 
And earthly liberty. 



THE GOSPEL SHIP 

Up and down, up and down, 

Ship on the billowy sea; 

Sail, sail, all the world round, 

Where ever a heathen may be. 

Haste with the message of Love o'er the wave — 

0, millions are needing- its power to save! 

Sail, sail, O ship, sail on 

Spreading the gospel flame; 

Sail, and rest neither night nor morn 

Till all shall have heard His name. 

Millions are dying in sin without God — 

0, haste to their rescue and give them the Word ! 

Speed on thy errand, 0, ship, up and down; 

Mind not the restless sea; 

Neither have fear of a shock or sound; 

God thy protector will be. 

Surely, He loveth His children the same ! 

Go, gospel ship, that Love to proclaim ! 

Tell it forth, tell it forth ; 

Tell of the life He gave ! 

Go East, West, South and North 

Seeking lost souls to save. 

W^hen every creature has heard of His love, 

Then to the earth will He come from above! 

Haste away, 0, haste away — 

Let every sail be free! 

Go, go, by night and by day 

Far over the surging sea. 

Fill up the fold with sheep now astray; 

Hasten His coming; 0, ship, haste away! 



DUTY'S CALL 

Written for an alumni meeting at Boydton Bible 
and Academic Institute, Boydton, Va. 

Time, so fleeting, fast and fleeting, 
Stay, stay thy winged flight; 
Hearts are beating — faint, yet beating 
For the parting scenes tonight. 

They are coming, swiftly coming; 
Each hour brings them hastening near, 
Vvhile a humming, soft low humming. 
Vainly tries each heart to cheer. 

Then the singing, clear sweet singing, 
Does its part to cheer the night 
That this winging, ah, too winging. 
Time is spoiling in its flight. 

We are going, yes we're going 
Out beyond these sacred walls 
To our sowing — life-time sowing, 
In the fields where Duty calls. 

Duty's calling, loudly calling; 
And we've come to say farewell 
With tears falling, sad tears falling 
In a grief we cannot tell. 



We have duties, bounden duties; 
There is work for each to do; 
And these duties, God-given duties 
Lead midst false as well as true. 

Yet we are workers — chosen workers 
In the vineyard of our Lord; 
So no shirkers, no mean shirkers 
In our band can we afford. 

Like the Master — our dear Master, 
We must do our given parts 
And the faster — all the faster 
Build God's kingdom in men's hearts. 

Then He's coming — quickly coming; 
Coming back to earth again. 
How a summing, prayerful summing 
In our hearts quickens our ken ! 

Christ is coming, surely coming — 
Alleluia! saints rejoice! 
Christ is coming — really coming, 
Bringing with Him heaven's joys! 

No more dartings — poignant dartings 
In our hearts ; 0, praise His name ! 
No more partings — tearful partings; 
All the years will be the same! 



PD 



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